2020 Bench Bar Conference

This will serve to notify you that the annual Bench Bar Conference previously-scheduled to begin on March 20, 2020 in Point Clear, Alabama is CANCELLED because of the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions applicable to all of us resulting from it.

It did not take long after my message to you on March 11, 2020 for events and circumstances beyond our control to make our meeting impossible. Two governmental emergency declarations, numerous announcements of cancellations and closures of public events and gatherings, the imposition of travel restrictions on you by your employers, and the concerns all of us must heed for the health and safety of ourselves, our loved ones, and our colleagues all combined to prevent our meeting.

You have time to cancel your hotel reservations. I urge you to do so promptly. You will be permitted to cancel your hotel room reservation without charge to you if you do so not later than Saturday March 14 for those of you scheduled to check in on Thursday March 19. For those of you scheduled to check in on Friday March 20, you must cancel no later than Sunday March 15 to avoid being charged. The Marriott Central Reservations phone number is (800) 544-9933.

Your conference registration fees will be refunded. Please make your application for refunds to the NOBA staff. Because of the volume of refund applications, we will receive, it will take our staff a bit of time to process them all. Please be patient. We have under consideration a waiver of the administrative fee ($30) applicable under our standard cancellation policy. We will make a prompt decision on that issue and you will be notified of it in response to your refund application.

It is with sadness that I must send you this message. Thanks to all of you, we had an especially fine program planned. Program chairs, Judge Rachael Johnson and Judge Africk, have asked me to express their thanks to all of you for the strong support you've shown for this event by your robust registrations and sponsorships.

All of us at the NOBA wish you, your loved ones, and colleagues good health and safety as we all navigate this public health crisis. We remain at your service and will endeavor to continue to deliver programs and services to you, as best we can, throughout this ordeal and subsequently throughout the remainder of the year.

Yours faithfully,

Jay Gulotta
President
New Orleans Bar Association

Join the New Orleans Bar Association for the 2020 Bench Bar Conference at the beautiful Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama, on March 19-22, 2020. The weekend promises to be a fascinating exploration of the latest developments in the legal community including Meet the Judges, a rapid-fire, round-robin session where lawyers will be given the opportunity to meet and interact with judges from state and federal courts.

Accommodations

Get your reservations now at Marriott's Grand Hotel in Point Clear, AL by calling (800)544-9933. If you prefer to stay in Fairhope, which is a short 5-minute drive, call the Hampton Inn. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact NOBA at (504) 525-7453.